Our Newsletter

Celiac Disease and Oats: Are They Gluten-Free?

This category contains articles that cover the safety of oats in the gluten-free diet. It is now generally accepted that non-contaminated gluten-free oats are safe for a celiac disease diet, with the exception of a small minority of celiacs who may have an additional intolerance to Avenin.

The answer to the "oats questions" are becoming clearer. The long-asked question is "Can people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity safely eat oats?" Some people are so sensitive, that even the tiniest bit of gluten makes them feel unwell. So this answer is important because people on a gluten-free diet should not restrict foods unnecessarily.

Experts have decreed that pure oats are safe for people with celiac disease. The definition of this disease is based on a very specific type of injury to the intestinal wall that heals following the removal of gluten from the diet. This intestinal damage, called villous atrophy, is caused by the interaction between the immune system and certain proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley.

The safety of oats for patients with celiac disease depends on the variety of oat - some are more toxic than others. The method used to assess this can be applied to other foods to determine their toxicity as well.

According to the results of a recent study, adults with diet-treated celiac disease show no elevation in anti-avenin IgA by oats, supporting the notion that most adult celiac disease patients can tolerate oats.

There still isn’t any official definitive evidence one-way or the other as to just how safe oats are for folks on a gluten-free diet, though there are more studies of this nature being undertaken, and data collection and genetic mapping and testing help us to build a better picture.